Doug Fister delivers a pitch early in the game Tuesday night against the Houston Astros.AP Photo

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers beat up on right-hander Lucas Harrell pretty well the last time they faced him. It took them a bit longer this time around, but they eventually got the job done.

The Tigers had one hit through 4 2/3 innings Tuesday night before rallying for three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth on their way to a 6-2 victory Tuesday night over the Houston Astros.

The bottom of the order put together a two-out rally in the fifth to turn the game around.

The Tigers had just one hit off Harrell -- an infield single by Torii Hunter in the first inning -- when Omar Infante came to the plate with two outs in the fifth. But Infante singled and the next three Tigers batters each had an RBI hit to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Don Kelly and Ramon Santiago -- playing in place of Austin Jackson (pulled left hamstring) and Jhonny Peralta (rest) -- had RBI hits in the inning.

That three-run rally gave the Tigers the lead for good.

Miguel Cabrera hit a home run, doubled, walked and scored twice for the Tigers.

Detroit improved to 6-0 against the Astros this season. The Tigers have a chance to sweep the season series Wednesday afternoon for the final time this season.

The Tigers beat up Harrell for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings on their way to a 17-2 victory over the Astros earlier this month in the third game of a four-game series in Houston.

KEY TO THE GAMEWhen Doug Fister (5-1) threw 33 pitches in a two-run second inning for the Astros, it looked like it might turn out to be a short night for him. But Fister recovered extremely well. He needed just six pitches to get through the fourth inning and worked efficiently from that point forward to turn in a solid start.

Fister retired 12 consecutive Astros at one point. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck out seven and did not issue a walk or hit a batter with a pitch. Fister has hit a league-high 10 batters with pitches this season.

TIGERS HIGHLIGHTS-- Infante singled to start the fifth inning, stole second and scored on a single to left field by Kelly for the first run of the game for the Tigers. Santiago followed with a double to the gap in left-center to tie the game at 2-2, and Andy Dirks had a ground-rule double to right field that made it 3-2.

-- Victor Martinez singled in Cabrera in the sixth inning to make it
4-2. Prince Fielder then scored from third base on a wild pitch to make
it 5-2.

-- Cabrera hit a solo home run, his eighth home run of the season, to give the Tigers a 6-2 lead in the seventh.

-- Joaquin Benoit struck out two and retired the side in order in the eighth inning in relief of Fister. Jose Valverde struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

-- Infante made a nice defensive play at second base to end the second inning for the Astros, who already had scored two runs and had a runner on third at the time.

-- Santiago, starting at shortstop in place of Jhonny Peralta, made a diving grab on a line drive in the fourth inning.

TIGERS LOWLIGHTS-- Fister recorded his first out of the second inning on his 28th pitch of the inning and his 42nd pitch overall. Chris Carter and Carlos Pena started the inning with back-to-back bloopers that found holes in the outfield. J.D. Martinez followed with an RBI double that was just fair inside the bat at third base to make it 1-0. Jimmy Paredes then hit a fly ball to center field for the first out of the inning, but it also scored Pena from third to make it 2-0.

-- After Hunter reached on an infield single with one out in the first, the Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate without a hit before Infante singled to start the rally in the fifth.

OTHER GAME NOTES-- Harrell's final line: 5-plus IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 1SO. Harrell had pitched to just one batter more than the minimum through 4 2/3 innings, but then saw seven of the final eight Tigers he faced reach base. Five of them scored.

-- Avisail Garcia made his season debut for the Tigers when he pinch hit for Don Kelly in the seventh inning. Garcia grounded out with two on and one out.

-- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who suffered a jaw injury in a collision with right fielder Jimmy Paredes in Monday's game, was away from the team on bereavement leave Tuesday night following the death of his grandmother.